This topic contains 5 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by AvatarAvatar WolfRob 11 years, 5 months ago.

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  • #43867
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    J-rueMykel
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  • #721131
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    Nbanflguy
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    Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant is anything but small.

    At 6-foot-9, with a wingspan of 7-5, Durant is one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers. By contrast, Hall of Fame center Moses Malone stood barely 6-10 in his salad days, only a scant inch taller than Durant, yet their games appear vastly different. One was a bruising interior player whose stockiness begged for high contact, the other is a lithe perimeter shooter with incredible length who avoids contact. Malone was clearly a center, but Durant is neither small nor a forward.

     

     

    So what is Durant? Someone who has changed the way we define NBA positions, that’s what.

     

     

    Gone are the days when positions are defined strictly by a player’s size. There are no absolutes left to define what position a player has to play. For more than two decades, we have labeled players as simply point guards (1), shooting guards (2), small forwards (3), power forwards (4) and centers (5). However, over the years, we have seen an evolution away from those labels and toward specialties, as well as some generalizations.

    Yes, it sounds confusing, and indeed it can be for players and for teams that struggle to figure out where to play a player. Labels such as "tweener" and questions such as "Is he a 3 or a 4?" are commonplace. But they shouldn’t be. Smart coaches and well-run teams embrace this combination of general and specific needs and work to feature potent combinations of both.

     

     

    Today, many of the top players cannot be branded simply, and, over time, it appears the game will continue to move in a manner similar to how the NFL has evolved — with more and more specialists employed next to stars as coaches try to cover as many areas as possible without concern to who specifically is doing what.

     

     

    The key is to create efficient offenses and defenses, so any means can work as long as the endgame is satisfactory. That’s why big men who can shoot but not rebound have an NBA home now, provided they are next to the proper teammates. Or why a "shooting guard" who can’t shoot can still start for his team.

    So forget the conventional 1-5 labels. Today, we’ll look at guards and wings, labeled by what they do, not their size. Thus, we have two categories: On-ball guards/wings and off-ball guards/wings. Both types are divided up into subcategories, again by what these guards do, not by their size. Here’s a look at how these "new" positions are broken down and some of the best players at these spots.

    I. On-ball wings/guards

    A. Primary ball handlers or "lead guards"
     

    [+] EnlargeRajon Rondo

    Greg M. Cooper/US PresswireRajon Rondo typifies the definition of a "lead guard."

    There once was a belief that point guards — true point guards — were born and not "made". The idea was that lead guards, like quarterbacks in football, had an innate sense to go along with their ballhandling skills, to "feel" when their teammates were open or who best deserved the ball at a given time.

     

     

     

    I completely disagree with that notion, but it is clear there are some guards in the league who have the ability to manage their teams with the ball in their hands. These are the guys who set up buckets, dictate pace the entire game, and are trusted to make the key plays for themselves or a teammate when needed.

    Some are better shooters than others, some are more natural as scorers, and others might not be gifted at either yet can still dominate a game with their overall set of skills (and defense). The key here is that these players control the game whether they are scoring or not.

    Of all the positions, the pure point guard position has perhaps changed the least over the years. The special guards who can lead players to easy buckets because of their incredible passing skills have always been a part of the NBA landscape, and it looks as if that has no chance of changing any time soon. If they can also shoot, score big points and/or defend, they become MVP candidates.

     

     

    Best examples: Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Deron Williams

     

     

    B. Scorers
    Then we have the other type of point guards — scorers — the guys who dominate the ball much of the time but their primary talent on offense is scoring, not passing. That’s not to say they can’t or won’t pass because the top scoring point guards are also adept at playing the two-man game — getting open shots for a teammate when the defense pays extra attention to them as top-level scorers.

     

     

    These guys don’t have the "vision" the "born" point guards possess, yet they are incredibly effective primary ball handlers because of their ability as scorers while still being able to make the simple pass or initiate their offense efficiently. A dominating, efficient scoring point guard can save a team on offense, and can lead it to titles and earn MVP votes along the way.

     

     

    Best examples: Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker, Lou Williams

     

     


    II. Off-ball guards/wings

     

     

    A. Shooters
    Every team needs two or three guys who are capable of making four of every 10 shots from the 3-point line. Even if a player struggles to dribble, pass or defend, being a great shooter can earn a few quality minutes for most players. Of course, if a player can shoot very well while also being even adequate at most of the other things, that player stands a good chance of starting or playing serious minutes for a good team.

    Some shooters are excellent at coming off screens or simply getting shots by moving all over the court. Others are better only as catch-and-shoot guys, letting their teammates create shots for them. It really makes little difference — how they excel matters only to the coach, whose job it is to create the best scoring opportunities for his team. Being a sharpshooter is all that is needed.

     

     

    Best examples: Ray Allen, Courtney Lee, J.J. Redick

     

     

    B. Defenders
    Just as teams have different identities on defense, so do top-rated defenders. Some guards/wings specialize in locking down an opponent. These "lockdown" players are experts at trailing a shooter off screens or staying in front of a slasher and making him take a contested shot.

     

     

    Some wings lack the foot speed to lock down opponents but are so aware off the ball that these "ball hawks" become integral to a team’s defensive success because they are often moving into the play path and turning a potentially negative situation into a positive one.

     

     

    Then there are the "chaos creators," guys who specialize in steals or creating turnovers by jumping into lanes or using long arms and quick hands to bother a ball handler. A team can excel at defensive efficiency with any of these three types of defensive players.

     

     

    Best examples: Tony Allen, Thabo Sefolosha, Shane Battier, Ronnie Brewer, Corey Brewer

     

     

    C. Scorers
     

    Vorped.comKevin Durant shot chart: Does this look like the work of a forward or guard?

    In the past, the prototypical shooting guard was one who flat-out scored. Although that prototype is outdated (6-6, extreme athletic gifts), the need for a monster scorer still remains. The top scorers almost always are at least two-way threats (perimeter shooting, lots of made free throws, midrange accuracy, excellent in transition, great finisher in the paint) and sometimes more.

    These are guys such as Durant, whose typical season consists of scoring 20 or more points per game and who is capable of 35-plus points in any game. Or they can excel off the bench, complementing a second unit rich in other areas but depleted of scoring punch. Looking at the shot chart to the right, courtesy of our friends at Vorped.com, you can see why, despite Durant’s size, it’s difficult to label him as a power forward when so many of his shots come from outside the paint.

     

     

     

    Best examples: Kevin Durant, Monta Ellis, Kevin Martin, Marcus Thornton

     

     

    D. Playmakers
    Not many true off-ball playmakers exist in the NBA today. A wing who can make plays for teammates while being a top defensive player is an All-Star. If he can also score, he’s a superstar. Some top scorers are not playmakers because they mostly just make the easy pass to take advantage of a defense’s focus on them.

     

     

    Playmakers, however, can create the pass even before the defense sends its second or third guy over to help. In a sense, playmakers are scoring lead guards who play off the ball. A scoring playmaker who is also excellent on defense is an MVP candidate — that’s how rare they are. They are the guys who can carry a team in any playoff series.

     

     

    Best examples: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Manu Ginobili, James Harden, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James

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  • #721139
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    BlueRivers25
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    Irving was left off. I see him on the list of lead guards like Deron Williams and Chris Paul.

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  • #721143
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    F_S mock

     durant is 6’9 without shoes… he plays with shoes on… he’s like 6’10.5

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  • #721151
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    seniokas
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    Lmao if someone between Durant and Malone has an inch on another one that’s got to be Durant. I would say that he is about 6’9 when he is standing in defensive position with his knees bend every other time he is every bit 6’11 in shoes.

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  • #721152
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    WolfRob
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     I REALLY like that list. Positions are becoming overrated. 

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